Rev. Doug Forbes: Create, share Joe’s Bible

Joe’s Bible is fun to make, and it will remind your students to read God’s word on a regular basis. The children may wish to make extra Bibles to use as gifts for family members.

Rev. Doug Forbes

Joe’s Bible is fun to make, and it will remind your students to read God’s word on a regular basis. The children may wish to make extra Bibles to use as gifts for family members.

To make Joe’s Bible you need the following: Bibles, concordances, black, red or blue felt, corrugated cardboard, scissors, and a paper cutter, white glue, one-quarter-inch wide red ribbon, newspaper, and alphabet pasta. I like to use Ronzoni Alphabets 51 pasta, but there are other brands available.

Begin your craft by covering the table with newspaper to protect it from spills. Using a paper cutter, cut thick cardboard into 2 1/2–by-2-inch squares. Cut felt pieces 6-by-3 inches. Cut ribbons 3 inches long. Glue four sheets of cardboard together. They should end up being five inches thick, or slightly thicker. Stand the cardboard up on the table so that the bottom of the longer section is touching the table. Fold the felt sideways to the right over the cardboard so that it covers the cardboard equally on all sides. The felt should be tight against the left side of the cardboard to create the spine and the two ends should be of equal length to the right. Glue the ribbon just inside the cover of your book at the bottom center so that 1 and one quarter inch of ribbon sticks out. Glue the felt to the cardboard. On the front upper half of the book use pasta letters to spell out “Holy Bible” and glue the words one under the other. If time and materials permit, your students could make extra little Bibles to share as gifts.

When teaching older children you may wish to leave the two center cardboard pieces unglued from each other. Glue properly sized white paper onto the cardboard, and have your students write Psalm 119:105 or their favorite Bible verse on the right hand side of the white paper.

For a Bible study ask the young people to read their favorite Bible passages and explain to the class why they’re special to them. Read Psalm 119:105, which says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Discuss how God’s Word provides us with light or wisdom in dealing with the daily issues of life. Explain the value of reading God’s Word. Encourage your students to spend a little time each day reading their Bibles and praying. If your students are older, you could challenge them to read through the Bible in a year. You may wish to purchase inexpensive Bible reading charts from a Christian bookstore and distribute them to your class.

The Rev. Doug Forbes coaches the Ski and Snowboard Team at New Hope Christian Chapel in South Easton, Mass. He can be reached at easton@cnc.com.

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